Left Behind
by Vinividivinci
Summary: To avoid the holidays Jack goes on a mission with SG8 and ends up left behind.  Jack whumping and ultimately a team fic.
1. Chapter 1

_**It's that time of year again, so I thought a little holiday story was in order. And what better way to celebrate this season of peace and joy than with a good Jack Whumping story! This is a short team fic with no S/J planned – although my arm can always be twisted. I'll return to my other stories immediately – I just sometimes find that a short break helps reinvigorate me.**_

_**Oh – does it even need to be said at this late date? I don't own anything, nor do I make any money off of this. I do it for pure enjoyment and reviews, of course!**_

"So, when are you heading out Colonel?" Carter asked with a big smile.

God, he loved her smile, he thought, staring at her. It was only when she began to look uncomfortable that he realized he hadn't answered her. "Oh, sorry Major, I was thinking about something. I'm uh – heading out tomorrow."

"Are you driving, Sir?"

Damn, he should have known that his team would ask questions like this. "Uh, well, I thought about flying but you know – I hate to be without wheels!" There, he hadn't really lied, had he? It's not as if he _said_ he was taking his car.

"Well, have a good time Colonel."

"You too Carter", he answered with a grin. "Have fun with your brother and his family."

"I will Sir, thank you and Merry Christmas!"

He watched as she walked away and sighed, wishing – no, don't go there O'Neill! With a deep breath he stood straight and turned towards his office. If he was lucky, he'd avoid Daniel and Teal'c before they had to leave.

The fact was, Sg1 had been given two weeks off for the holidays. The General had told them they all needed a break after all the stuff they'd had to deal with over the past few months. He couldn't disagree, he knew they all needed a break – it was just that he hated _not_ working over the holidays.

He really hated them – all of them – but Christmas was the worst. Christmas, with all its music and decorations and food and gifts – was a time for families and he had none. Working, he could keep his mind off his loss. It was when he was home, alone, that everything came rushing back to haunt him.

So, he'd quietly approached the General and had asked to be assigned to another team while his was off. At first Hammond had refused, saying that Jack needed the time off as much as any of them. "Son", he'd said, "you're exhausted. You can't keep going like this without a break."

"I know Sir", he'd replied. "It's just - Sir, I'll take time off afterward, I swear – it's just-" He had trouble continuing. It was something he didn't talk about, something he didn't like to admit. When the General just looked puzzled he knew he'd have to explain.

"Sir, I – don't like the holidays. I'd rather work." There, maybe George would figure it out.

"But Jack, surely you'd like to spend time with friends or family?"

"No – I – Sir, it's a time for family and I-"

He could see the sudden understanding on George's face. What killed him, though, was the compassion he saw – something he hated and the reason he usually didn't say anything.

"Okay Jack, I'll arrange for you to go with Sg8. They're a man short since Lieutenant Hargrove got injured. They'll appreciate having you along."

"No, they probably won't Sir", he answered with a relieved grin. "Still, I'll try to be good. Can you assure Fredericks that he's to retain command? I'll just come along as an extra pair of hands. I don't want to interfere with his team."

"I'll tell him Jack – and thanks although I am going to make you take some time off you know?"

"No problem Sir, and thank you!"

So, all Jack had to do was to not let on to his team. He knew them too well. If they thought he was miserable, they'd end up being miserable too and he didn't want that for them. They deserved to be happy. He'd therefore spoken to Fredericks and asked him to keep quiet about it until after Sg1 had left the base.

He managed to wait until Teal'c was ready to step through the gate before seeing his friend. There was just enough time to say goodbye before Teal'c had to leave. Jack kind of thought he'd seen a look on his friend's face that indicated the man – or Jaffa – knew something was up but, oh well, it didn't really matter. Teal'c'd be on Chulak and wouldn't know anything until he returned and certainly wouldn't be able to say anything to the others.

Daniel was the tricky one. He always wanted to know everything and would keep at Jack like a flea on a dog until Jack gave in. There was no way the Colonel wanted to lie to his friend, but he also knew that if Daniel caught wind of what he was planning, he'd never hear the end of it. In fact, Daniel would probably insist on cancelling his own vacation to spend it with Jack.

Well, that was one thing he wasn't going to let happen, he decided. Daniel needed this and he was going to go off thinking Jack was happy and had plans. The only problem was how to make that happen!

In the end, Jack was saved by an emergency. Sg3 came in hot and Jack had to help Hammond debrief the team. By the time he was done, Daniel was ready to leave for the airport.

"You sure you're okay Jack?" he asked as he gathered his things together.

"I'll be just fine Daniel! I've looked after myself for a very long time."

"I know _that_. I just meant are you all set for the holidays?"

"Yes, I'm all set. I have _plans_ so don't worry. I promise I won't be alone and I won't be bored. Just go and have fun – and say hi to Catherine for me!"

"Okay." Daniel looked around one more time and then moved to the door. "Merry Christmas Jack. Have fun up in Minnesota!"

"Merry Christmas yourself Danny. Have a good one!"

There! He'd made it. All his teammates were gone and wouldn't be back for 2 whole weeks. He was heading out tomorrow on a 4 day mission and then Christmas would be over. He'd arranged to take the New Year's shift on base and give Hammond the night off to spend with his family. That meant he wouldn't have to suffer through that holiday either. He had everything planned out perfectly!

The next morning, early, he headed out with Sg8. The team leader, Major Anthony Fredericks, was a good officer who was respected by his team. Jack had never heard anything bad about the man, but found him to be completely humorless. The only time he'd really had anything to do with him had been during meetings with all the other team leaders. Although Fredericks had never said anything to him one way or the other, Jack always got the impression that the man despised him.

He figured the problem was that the Major was a 'by the book' officer. He'd done well, his whole career, following the rules to the letter! He'd seen some combat but nothing that required him to have to make tough decisions or to question his orders from above. Jack often wondered how he would do in a situation where there wasn't a manual, and where there were no clear cut answers. He prayed, for his team's sake, that he never had to find out.

He went out of his way to make it clear to Fredericks that he was coming along to help – not to take command. The Major had given him a sharp nod, but he could feel the resentment that oozed from the other officer. He sighed to himself, know that he'd be walking on egg shells the whole time they were away. Anything he did would be perceived as trying to take over – something he really didn't want. In fact, he was more than happy to have someone else give the orders for a change. The opportunity to not be the one with the ultimate responsibility was as good a rest as he figured he was going to get.

They arrived on the planet early in the morning. For once, the time on the planet corresponded almost exactly with the time they'd left earth. It always made it easier that way, and less tiring.

"Okay Beaton, you and Smith check the perimeter. You wait here O'Neill" Fredericks commanded as he took off to do his own check. Jack sighed again. Yup, this was going to be fun! He wouldn't be at all surprised if the man had him set up camp and do all the grunt work while they were here.

Once everything had been checked, the Major ordered them all to move out. He sent O'Neill out on point, probably because they were heading in through the jungle and he'd be responsible for clearing the path. He was beginning to think that Fredericks was something of an ass! Still, he'd asked for the mission, so there was no sense complaining.

They'd been travelling for well over three hours and Jack was soaked with sweat and his face and hands were full of scratches from the thick tropical brush. His arm was throbbing from the constant hacking with the machete. It was well past time for Fredericks to have called a break. Jack wondered if this was the usual way the man acted or if this was for his sake. He rather thought it was the latter!

He really wanted to ask to stop, to take a drink before he passed out, but he knew he wouldn't. The Major may have been trying to prove something, but Jack wasn't going to fall into his trap. Nope, he'd be a good little soldier and keep going until he dropped dead from exhaustion and dehydration.

"You gonna keep going forever O'Neill?" He heard some sniggers behind him and stopped and turned. Frederick and his team had stopped and put their packs down and were drinking from their canteens. He assumed he'd just missed the command – maybe he'd been thinking too hard – or maybe this was another one of Fredericks little 'jokes'.

"Nope", he answered shortly, putting his machete away. He reached for his canteen and took a long drink. He would like to have finished it, but they hadn't come to a fresh water source yet and he knew enough than to finish off all his water.

"How much further do you want to go today?", he asked, after a few moments. Fredericks just looked at him, chewing his gum.

"I don't know O'Neill. I'll let you know when I decide."

Okay, it was official. The man was a jerk. O'Neill shrugged and went and sat down, leaning against a tree. He closed his eyes briefly, just wishing that the mission was over already.

"Let's get moving – unless you'd like to continue your nap O'Neill?" Major Fredericks asked sarcastically. Jack slowly opened his eyes and stared at the man until the Major turned away. He then got to his feet, feeling stiff and sore. Oh well, at least he'd gotten his point across. Thank God the man didn't outrank him!

This time it was Captain Smith who got the unlucky job of leading the way. Jack wanted to smirk, although he managed to keep from doing so – just! They were making much worse time with Smith in the lead than when he'd been hacking away at the undergrowth. He wondered what the dear Major was thinking.

They'd been travelling for what felt like days before Fredericks called a halt. It was late in the afternoon and they'd been walking for close to 10 hours. Unfortunately, they hadn't travelled that far since it took so long to move through the jungle.

"Let's get set up", the Major called. They all began to move around the small clearing, setting up tents, a fire pit and their make-shift latrine. Jack was quite surprised that Freddy hadn't given him that job to do.

He did end up fixing supper however, which wasn't too difficult since it consisted of their usual MRE's. Once everyone was eating things grew quiet. He figured he was putting a damper on conversation for, as much as Major Fredericks was still in command, they all knew that he was a Colonel and second in command of the SGC. That had to be intimidating.

"So, this any different than your missions with Sg1?", Fredericks asked after a few minutes of silence. So much for intimidation, thought Jack.

"Different people", he answered shortly. What the hell did the man want him to say?

"You think your people are better?" Crap – the man really was looking for trouble.

"Didn't say that", he answered shortly and calmly.

"No, you don't' need to. Everyone knows you guys think you're better than the rest of us!"

Jack looked at the three men in front of him and couldn't help but feel their resentment. Hell, this was worse than he'd thought. He wondered if this was a common attitude or if it was just this team? He was pretty sure that Fredericks must have been stirring up resentment amongst his team against Sg1, although it could be more pervasive than he knew. It's something he'd have to talk to Hammond about.

"We don't", he answered calmly. "Every team is different and each one has its strengths and weaknesses", he answered diplomatically.

"Yeah, right! I bet you don't think Major Carter has any weaknesses!" Beaton piped up after a few seconds. The others laughed.

That was it, thought Jack. "I suggest you keep your mouths shut about Major Carter", he said in an ominously quiet voice. "She's a better officer than all of you put together and has saved this planet – and your asses – more times than you know. If I hear anything disrespectful about her, or about any other member of the SGC I'll –"

"What O'Neill", Fredericks interrupted. "What'll you do?"

"I'll kick your ass and then I'll suggest you get moved to another assignment", he answered directly.

The Major stared at him, obviously debating whether to continue the argument or to let it go. For a while there he'd forgotten that O'Neill outranked him. Plus, the man was a favorite of the General. He knew he'd be foolish to antagonize him any more than he already had.

"I'm sure the Lieutenant didn't mean anything by it", he leaned back casually. "We're just foolin' around."

"Yeah, well don't – not about any member of my team you don't."

Nobody seemed to want to stay up after this last conversation so all of them except Smith, who was talking first watch, headed off to their tents.

By the time Jack lay back in his sleeping bag he was exhausted – and relieved. It had been a long day in more than one way and he was ready for some sleep.

Of course he'd been given the third watch – always the most difficult one. He really didn't care one way or another. This was turning into a crappy mission, but he'd survived a lot worse. He was debating whether or not he'd do anything about Sg8 though. He hated the thought that a team like this was part of the SGC. Still, he didn't think he'd say anything to Hammond. It smacked too much of 'telling tales'. Anyway, they seemed to do okay on their own. As long as they didn't interfere with other teams he guessed it didn't matter.

The next morning the weather had turned and it was stormy and wet. Jack sighed, not relishing another long hike. Their mission was to check out some ruins about 20 kilometers from the gate but he really wondered if it was going to be worth it. They'd only made about 15 yesterday because of the brush and it would probably take them half a day to make the last five, especially in the torrential downpour that had hit them.

Once his tent was put away and he was finished putting all his supplies away, he swung his pack on his back and waited for the others. He couldn't help but smirk a bit when he thought about his team. Even Daniel, who wasn't a career soldier, was faster at getting going in the morning than these three!

"O'Neill, why don't you scout ahead and see what you can see since you're all ready?" O'Neill turned to the Major in surprise. He would never send any one of his people out alone on a new, unexplored planet, if there wasn't real need. Still, he would much rather be on his own then hanging around with this lot. God, he really missed his team.

"Yeah, okay. I'll radio in every 15 minutes. Let me know when you're ready to move out."

"We'll do that O'Neill", Fredericks said. His words weren't anything O'Neill could take exception to but his manner – Jack would definitely like to have this guy under his command for a while.

For the first while there was really nothing to see, especially through the continuing rain. The scenery was pretty much the same as it had been yesterday. Fortunately the rain slowed, and then stopped after about an hour. Just as he had decided that this mission was pretty much a bust, the trees opened up and he was in a clearing. He stopped, wishing that Daniel was here, because his archaeologist friend would have had a fit - of joy.

In front of Jack was the biggest temple – or palace – or something - he'd ever seen. It appeared to go on forever and was in amazing condition although, from the growth, it appeared as if it hadn't been in use for a long time. Still, it was a fascinating find, even for a man who proclaimed he was disinterested in these kinds of things.

"Oh Danny", he said softly, "I really wish you were here! You'd love this." Jack took a few steps closer, wondering what civilization created such a building. It was beautiful – the stone was light colored and the outside was full of carvings. The carvings themselves were lovely – intricate and finely detailed. He was pretty sure they were engravings of flowers and animals.

That was good, at least. He'd been to some places where the 'art work' showed scenes of destruction, war and torture. This looked like it was done by a more peaceful people – or at least by people who had a love of the beautiful.

He been walking around for a few moments, still in awe at the very _magnitude_ of the building, when he realized it was a couple of minutes past time to radio in. With a sigh, knowing it would spoil his mood, he lifted the radio to his mouth and reported in.

There was no reply. He frowned and tried again. It had been working a moment ago, so why not now? Maybe the temple had something to do with it? He tried a third time but there was still no answer. With another sigh he knew he'd have to backtrack and find the others. He almost wondered if the Major was intentionally ignoring his signal but then dismissed that thought. As much as Fredericks was an ass, he wouldn't ignore proper procedure. He was a 'by the book' officer and would not lower himself to something so petty – and so potentially dangerous.

Jack took one more look around and was about to head back when he heard a noise. He glanced up, just in time to see a flock of birds take off from what looked like a tower window. It was a beautiful sight – he wondered what kind of birds they were. The next thing he knew, the ground underneath him had opened up and he went hurtling down.

The first shock of falling took his breath away but almost immediately he came to his senses and yelled, hoping that Fredericks and his men were close enough to hear him. The shout was cut off when he smashed into the sharp rocks along the side of the shaft. The pain immediately halted any ability to speak or even breathe. The next collision was with the back of his head against another sharp rock. The only good thing about that was it meant he was unconscious before he hit the ground – and therefore missed the bone crunching agony of the 30 foot drop. Hitting the walls had also slowed his descent, and although it caused damage of its own, it was ultimately what kept him from dying instantly as he impacted the hard ground.

As the broken and torn body of the Colonel lay deathly still at the bottom of the long shaft, the trap door above slowly swung closed. If someone had chanced by, at that moment, they would not have known that anyone had been in this place for many, many years. The birds over head settled back down, and the soft breeze continued to sigh around the brilliant white stones of the ancient temple.


	2. The Search

"Was that O'Neill on the radio?" Fredericks asked as he came out of the bushes, zipping up his pants. He reached his hand out for his radio and Smith gave it to him with a grin.

"Yeah, that was him."

"What did he say? Did he find anything?"

"Uh, I don't know Major. I – we couldn't – he didn't hear us."

"What?" Fredericks turned a puzzled eye on the Captain.

"I don't think he heard us when we answered him." Smith's eyes shifted to the left as he spoke which immediately let the Major know his subordinate was lying.

"What the hell?" he said. "What did you do?"

Smith looked worried but finally confessed. "We didn't answer him. We thought we'd make him sweat a bit. We were just going to call him now."

"You idiots! Just because I think O'Neill is an arrogant SOB that doesn't give you permission to ignore standard procedures. What the hell did you think you were doing?" He quickly clicked the radio and called for the Colonel. After 3 or 4 tries he grimaced and gave up. "Let's go. We'd better find him quickly or all of us are gonna end up busted down to Airmen!"

The three men took off quickly, following the route that O'Neill had taken. He'd made no attempt to hide his trail – if anything he'd made it plain so the others could follow. Soon they came on the temple and all came to a stop, as he had done, and stared in amazement.

"Holy Crap!" whispered Beaton. "Would ya look at that."

"Wow, that's amazing. I wonder who built it?" added Smith.

"We'll worry about that later. For now, we've got to find O'Neill."

The men searched all morning but could find no sign of the Colonel. By early afternoon Fredericks was ready to give up, although the thought of returning without O'Neill made him break out in a sweat. His men were unusually silent, all of them worried about what would happen if they didn't find him.

"Let's head back", the Major finally spoke. "We'll have to tell Hammond and they'll send another team to help look."

"But where could he be Sir?" Smith asked. "He wasn't that far ahead of us."

"I don't know. Maybe someone took him." Fredericks answered.

"I didn't see any sign of anyone", Beaton was also looking subdued. "Maybe he's gone back to the gate. He might have wanted to teach us a lesson."

"You mean after you ignored his radio call?" Fredericks said angrily.

"Yeah – maybe – I guess."

"What the hell did he say when he radioed in?"

"Nothing. Just said he was checking in. It didn't sound like he was in trouble or anything. He just sounded normal."

"Damn! Look, I don't think we should say anything about the radio. We'll simply say that we didn't hear anything."

The two men looked at the Major, surprised that he was willing to hide the truth but they both nodded. They knew this could hit the fan real quick. Without another word they turned and headed back to the gate.

* * *

><p>Returning to consciousness was a painful and slow process. He had no idea what had happened or where he was. He opened his eyes but he could see nothing – he prayed that that meant he was in the dark and not that he was blind.<p>

Pain suddenly shot through his skull like a hot knife and he couldn't help but groan. He reached – or tried to reach his head– and instead let out a soft scream. God, what was wrong with him? His shoulder and arm hurt worse than his head, if that was possible. Waiting for the nausea and dizziness – and shooting agony – to die down, he tried again to move, this time using his other arm.

He couldn't figure out why nothing happened. He knew his brain was telling his arm to move – so why wasn't it? It took him awhile to realize that he was lying on it and it had gone numb. Okay Jack – move!

He didn't even remember passing out. All he knew was that when he came to again he knew he had to be very, very careful about moving any part of his body. Something was terribly wrong and he knew he was in serious trouble. This time he moved very slowly until he was able to pull his left arm out from under his body. It still hurt like hell, but at least he was able to stay conscious.

Okay, where was he – and _why_ was he – wherever he was? He tried to think but the pounding in his head made it almost impossible. He could feel something dripping down his face and wondered if there was water coming from somewhere. It was only when a drop made its way to the corner of his mouth that he realized it was blood, not water.

Crap! He really was in trouble. He again tried shifting his body but just the slight movement sent shafts of pain up his legs, through his groin and into his back. Well, the good news was he had feeling down there – the bad news was HE HAD FEELING DOWN THERE!

"God", he groaned. He could feel the nausea building from the intense pain. He did everything he could to try and stop himself from throwing up but after a few seconds lost the battle. He threw up everything he'd had for – whatever meal he'd had last – he couldn't remember. Soon he was dry heaving, the sound interspersed with wheezing sobs from the pain they caused.

The third time he returned to consciousness it was the smell he noticed first, then the pain. Damn – someone had thrown up. It didn't take long – especially with the taste in his mouth – to realize who that someone had been. Now, on top of everything else, he was dying for a drink.

Okay O'Neill, get yourself together and figure out where you are. Stop with all this passing out! First things first, he decided. He needed to figure out where he was. It only dawned on him at that moment that his pack was still attached to his back. He was lying on his stomach, which was rather unpleasant, especially considering his recent bout of vomiting, but hopefully that would make it possible to get the pack off and get to some of the supplies.

His radio! God, where was his head. He tried to reach it with his one working arm but couldn't seem to find it – the radio not his arm. He laughed, slightly hysterically – he _so _knew where his arm was since even the good one hurt. Now, he'd better get a flash light and then look for the damn radio.

He lost all track of time as he tried to work off his pack without killing himself in the process. He was pretty sure he kept falling in and out of consciousness, but he'd lost track of time, and couldn't be sure of anything anymore. All he knew was he _really_ wanted a drink – desperately – and some painkillers, not necessarily in that order. What he wouldn't give for one of Janet's little, no he took that back – one of Janet's _big_ needles full of sweet, sweet morphine!

There, it was off! He laid down, resting his head on the cold ground, as he tried to re-gather his strength. He knew the next part was going to be bad. He had to try and turn over and then sit up to get to his supplies. He just hoped he'd be able to do it.

"Gaaah", he grunted as he forced himself over. He'd thought the pain was bad before – this time he could barely keep from crying as the burning agony spread through his shoulder and arm. He refused to think about his legs, pretty sure that at least one, if not both, were broken.

Okay, so he was on his back, staring straight up. Not that he could see anything, but at least he felt a bit less vulnerable. The next step was to try and sit up. The problem with that was that it was going to hurt even more, and he was very tired of hurting.

* * *

><p>Hammond looked down at the men returning through the gate and frowned when all but O'Neill stepped through the iris. When the event horizon eventually disappeared, he turned and hurried down to the gate room. What the hell had happened now?<p>

"Major Fredericks, where is Colonel O'Neill", he asked as soon as he arrived. The Major swung quickly around to face the General.

"We don't know Sir", he replied. "He was ahead of us, checking out the trail. We tried calling him on the radio a short while later but there was no answer. We found a ruin – a temple – and we think he got that far but there was no sign of him anywhere. We searched for hours and finally decided to come back for help."

"Was there any sign of anyone else there?"

"No Sir, none that we could see. As far as we could tell there hasn't been anyone there for years – centuries at least."

"What about signs of animals, technology, anything that could have gotten a hold of the Colonel?"

"No Sir, again nothing. All we saw were small creatures and birds. As for technology, no, nothing. Whatever society had been there didn't appear to be particularly advanced."

"So, do you have any ideas at all?" The General looked at the three men, hoping one of them would have something useful.

"I'm sorry General, but we couldn't find anything. That's why we finally came back, although we didn't want to leave him. I thought with more people and the right equipment we'd have better luck."

"You made the right decision Major", Hammond told him. "Okay, quickly get cleaned up and then meet in the Briefing room. I'll get SG3 and 4 and tell them to get ready to move out."

Hammond had Walter contact the team leaders and then made his way slowly back to his office. Where the hell was O'Neill?

"Sir, did you want me to get in touch with Sg1 as well", Walter asked quietly.

Hammond looked up sharply. "No, they're –" He stopped for a moment. On the one hand they could find the Colonel quickly and he would hate to have dragged his team back for no reason. One the other, if he didn't tell them and something happened to O'Neill, they'd be terribly upset. "Let's give SG3 and 4 a few hours. If they don't find him I'll contact his team."

* * *

><p>There! He found his canteen and grabbed it almost frantically. He struggled to get it opened single handedly, almost sobbing and then cursing as he was at first unable to do so. Eventually, however, he managed to unscrew the top and tipped it up.<p>

God – it was so good! He drank deeply for a few seconds before forcing himself to stop. He knew he mustn't drink it all but oh, how we wanted to. For a second he rested, feeling slightly better.

Now that he'd had a drink he knew he had to look for his radio and call his team. Hopefully they'd come quickly. In the meantime he'd try and treat his wounds.

He found his radio a short time later, once he'd managed to pull his flashlight from his pack. Unfortunately, it was smashed beyond repair. He must have fallen right on top of it. Well, that made things difficult, although he wasn't too worried. He knew his team would come for him. If there was one thing he knew he could count on was the fact that they wouldn't leave him, no matter what.

He just wished he could remember what mission they'd been on. His mind was so mixed up, so fuzzy, he couldn't remember anything at all. He knew he had a concussion but hoped that once he was back, under Janet's care, everything would come back and he'd remember.

"Come on guys", he whispered, "anytime would be good."

* * *

><p>"No sign Sir." Colonel Reynolds said as he came through the gate. "The men are still looking but Fredericks was right – there's no sign of him. We found the temple though and there's a bunch of writing on it. We figure we could really use Dr. Jackson. It might tell us something."<p>

Damn, Hammond castigated himself. He should have gotten in touch with them immediately! Well, there was no point in second guessing, he'd just have to –

"Do you want me to contact Sg1 now Sir?" Walter read his mind as usual.

"Yes Sergeant. Arrange for transport for them as well. I want them here as quickly as possible."

Sam was sitting outside with her sister-in law watching the kids as they swam in the pool and chatting about a number of things. It felt so good to be relaxing in the warm sunlight and to not worry about anything. She'd really needed this break, needed to get away from the mountain and from the war with the Goa'uld - although she admitted to herself that she missed her team. She laughed softly to herself. She almost felt like a mother whose kids were away on their own for the first time. She actually worried that her guys were all okay and weren't getting into trouble.

Her sister-in-law went in to the house to grab some drinks and she continued to think about her team. She realized there was no need to worry about Teal'c. He was able to look after himself and didn't tend to get into trouble. Now Daniel and the Colonel, they were a different matter altogether! If anyone could get into trouble it was those two! At least this year Daniel was staying with Catherine and she'd look after him.

The Colonel – well, she assumed he'd be fine although she did continue to worry about him. She'd wondered how he'd handle the holidays this year. She knew they were difficult for him but usually they kept busy working at this time of year and he was able to avoid too much of the celebrations. He had certainly seemed to be okay but you never knew with Jack O'Neill. He was a master at hiding things – especially his emotions.

She suddenly frowned when she thought back to their conversations last week. It dawned on her that he'd never actually said he was going to his cabin. They'd all just assumed that's where he was going but now that she thought about it he hadn't mentioned _what_ exactly he was doing. From feeling relaxed she suddenly began to have a strange sense of foreboding.

"Sam, there's a call for you", her sister-in-law walked out holding the phone. "Said his name was Walter from work."

Oh God, she knew it! "Sergeant hi, it's Major Carter here. What is it?"

"I'm sorry Mark, Teri" she looked at her brother and his wife. "I hate to leave like this but it's an emergency. They're picking me up and I'm flying out of Mirimar. I'll call as soon as I can."

By the time she'd arrived in Colorado Springs she was really worried. She kept expecting to receive a message that the Colonel had been found. In this case, no news was bad news!

"Sir, any word", she asked as she walked into the Control Room. He was standing speaking with Teal'c, who had clearly just returned from Chulak, if his clothes were anything to go by.

"No, nothing Major. SG4 just returned and they've found nothing. Dr. Jackson should be here in a few minutes – he's on his way from Petersen – and then we'll go over what we know."

There was really very little, if any, information at all. Fredericks and his men repeated what they knew and the other teams had almost nothing to add. Major Jimenez did show them some pictures of the writing they'd found, but it was too indistinct for Daniel to make much sense of it.

Soon Sg1 was ready to head out to the planet accompanied by Fredericks, Smith and Beaton. They'd had a chance to rest and it would be easier for them to show the others the way. They were very careful to be on their best behavior.

"I hope he's okay", Daniel spoke quietly as they followed Sg8 through the dense jungle. "I can't understand where he could be, unless someone grabbed him."

"I know", Sam replied. "I just hope he's locked in a room or something, but I keep having this feeling that something bad has happened."

"I too feel as if something ominous has occurred", Teal'c interjected. "I do not believe O'Neill would have disappeared without someone or something taking him."

They arrived shortly at the temple and, at any other time Daniel would have been over the moon to find such a building. Now, all he could think about was finding the Colonel. He immediately set to work to try and decipher the strange writings on the wall.

* * *

><p>He'd managed to bandage his head and to tie up his arm and shoulder to keep them from constantly moving or being jarred. He'd cleaned and bandaged numerous other cuts and scrapes although fortunately none seemed <em>too<em> bad, although he'd need stitches on a few. The worst ended up being his legs. He'd been right in that both of them were broken. It must have happened when he fell – no surprise there - and he just thanked the God of Colonels and idiots that he couldn't remember landing. He was sure it would have hurt, _badly_!

There really wasn't much he could do for them, lying as he was at the bottom of a dark well or tunnel. He couldn't even straighten them completely as there wasn't enough room. It meant that they continued to be bent unnaturally and caused them to hurt like hell!

He was pretty sure that the left leg had a simple fracture just above the ankle. He figured it probably needed a cast and would be okay after a few weeks. It was the other leg that really worried him. It was certainly broken in more than one place and it was starting to go numb. He was concerned that there was nerve damage or that his circulation was compromised. He knew that that could be dangerous if he was stuck here for too long.

He had managed to pull himself, slowly and carefully, over to the side of the shaft which enabled him to lean against the wall. He was also fortunate that he had his sleeping bag with him as it was growing extremely cold and damp where he was. He wondered if, in fact, he'd fallen down and old, misused well. It was certainly damp enough. He'd tried to peer up, using his flashlight, but the light had only managed to penetrate so far and he couldn't see the top of the shaft. He really wondered how far he'd fallen.

'Kay guys", he whispered again. "I'm ready for you to come and get me. I'm kinda tired of this place!"

He had no idea how much time had elapsed since he'd fallen – he assumed that he'd fallen, although he could have been pushed. Suddenly he began to worry. What if his team had been captured or killed? Maybe he'd been left for dead and no one knew he was here? He could die down here and no one would ever find him.

The more he thought about it the more panicked he became. He could tell he was starting to hyperventilate and forced himself to stop and calm down. There was no point in starting to imagine things. He knew his team – they'd never give up, no matter what.

* * *

><p>"God – we can't give up, but I don't know what else to do", Daniel wiped the sweat from his eyes. "I've been working on this for hours and it hasn't told me a thing. It simply looks like a series of poems to Lakapati, the Goddess of Fertility, food and prosperity. Lakapati was worshipped by the ancient Tagalog people of the Phillipines and she was dearly loved by the people. But it doesn't help us find him." He stopped and looked around. "Where the hell are you Jack?"<p>

"He's got to be here somewhere Daniel", Sam said. "I don't know about you, but I'm not giving up until we find him."

"Me either Sam", he sighed. "I just wish I knew where to look."

"We will not leave until we have found him", Teal'c said with his strong voice. "O'Neill knows that we are coming for him."


	3. What Dreams May Come

Tony Fredericks felt terrible. As he and his men continued the search through the temple and the surrounding area, he couldn't help but feel that this whole thing was his fault. He knew he'd been an ass to O'Neill and less than professional. The Colonel had gone out of his way to fit in, to not try and take over and yet they'd treated him as if he were an arrogant know it all.

The worst part of the whole thing, he admitted to himself, was that he'd allowed his attitude to affect his men. Talk about unprofessional! He knew that they'd done what they had as a result of the way he'd treated and spoken about the Colonel. He took full responsibility although he knew he would also have to discipline them.

Well, he was going to have to confess everything to Hammond and he'd probably lose his position as team leader – at the least. If he was lucky they'd leave him at the SGC, although he knew if they didn't find the Colonel he could be looking at some pretty serious discipline.

Right now however, he had to put aside his worries about his future and just concentrate on finding O'Neill. He couldn't figure out where the man had gone. They had as yet to find a single clue and time was moving on. It had already been over a day and a half. If the man was hurt it was going to be bad.

"Anything yet Major", he asked Carter as soon as he saw her. He'd realized, during their time on the planet, that she was one hell of an officer. He could understand O'Neill's defense of her. She was also one gorgeous woman, although he would never say anything like that, of course. He wondered how O'Neill – or Jackson or Teal'c, for that matter, could work with her day in day out without falling for her. In just a few hours he'd already been smitten.

"No, nothing." She looked up at him with a frown. "I can't figure it out. He wouldn't just leave without some kind of sign and we've seen nothing to indicate there was anyone else here. It's almost as if he just disappeared."

"Maybe it was the Asgaard", he said, knowing of their propensity for 'beaming' O'Neill onto their ships.

"I thought of that too, but they've always alerted us when they've taken him and we've heard nothing and there's been no sign of them."

"Don't worry Major Carter – we'll keep looking until we find him."

"Thank you Tony", she replied. "I appreciate all you and your men are doing, and I know the Colonel will as well. He always said you were a good officer."

Crap – how to rub it in! He closed his eyes and really wished he could do over the last few days. What the hell had been wrong with him?

"I'm afraid he was wrong about that Major", he replied quietly. "I – I was a jerk to O'Neill and I owe him a huge apology – when we find him of course." He smiled tightly.

Sam looked at him in confusion, wondering what he meant, although right now she didn't want to expend the energy to worry about it. Fredericks had been nothing if not helpful and cooperative so she just shrugged and continued her search. "Yeah – we'll find him", she said, giving him a small smile in return.

* * *

><p>"Where are you guys?" Jack choked out. He was sure they would have come for him by now. He didn't know how much time had passed, but from the way he was feeling he was pretty sure it had been too long. Again he started to worry that they'd been captured. There was no way he'd let himself believe they were dead.<p>

He took another drink of water and knew things were bad when only a drop came out. He still had a bit of food but that would do him no good if he died of dehydration! Instantly, knowing he was out of water, he began to crave a drink. He knew it was mostly psychological at this point – what you don't have you want. What he didn't realize was that he'd lost a lot of blood and therefore his need for water was greater than usual.

The one good thing, he decided, was that the pain was much less in his legs. "Must be getting better", he murmured to himself. Again, it wasn't that they were any better – in fact, they were worse. They had gone numb. Much longer and there would be permanent damage although his mind was too cloudy to realize it.

"Sam – where are you?" he whispered. "You're always here for me when I need you. Please, find me." He started thinking about his second in command and wished, not for the first time, that the regulations weren't in the way. He would love to ask her out, to spend time getting to know her outside of work. Oh, he knew her– they did spend team nights together and he'd seen her in all sorts of situations but it was different than if they could go out together. He'd love to sit across the table from her, soft candle light illuminating her face, and talk to her about things other than aliens, astrophysics or the air force.

He lay there and allowed himself to dream about Sam Carter. It kept his mind off the pain and the dire situation he was in and made him determined to keep going. For once he allowed himself to dream, to wish and to hope. Although she would never know it, Sam Carter was saving his life again, even when she wasn't there.

* * *

><p>"Sam, Teal'c!" Daniel shouted. He was standing reading some of the writing along one wall. He had only just found it as it was in an obscure hallway and he'd almost missed it.<p>

"What is it Daniel", Sam ran up, out of breath. "What have you found?"

Just then Teal'c arrived, an expectant look on his face. "What is it Daniel Jackson? Have you discovered something to lead us to O'Neill?"

"Maybe", he said excitedly. "I just found this writing – I almost didn't see it. I started to translate it and realized it was talking about Anagolay!" he exclaimed.

His two friends looked at him blankly and he grinned, knowing he was irritating them. "Anagolay is a goddess."

"We figured that Daniel – but how does it, or she, help us?"

"Well, she was the goddess of 'lost things'." He turned to them and shook his head when they didn't seem to get it. "_Lost things_! Who do we know who is lost right now?" he asked.

"We get it Daniel but I still don't see how this is going to help us. Unless you think she had something to do with taking the Colonel." Sam suddenly looked worried. "Do you think she is a Goa'uld?"

"No, I don't think she's even here", he explained. "I think she was a one of a pantheon of gods and was worshipped by the people of this planet many, many years ago. I've seen no evidence of any Goa'uld here at all."

"Okay then, _what does it mean and how does it help us_?" she asked impatiently.

"This temple – it's partially in her honor, at least this section of it is. I think that maybe the temple itself was built in such a way as to worship her by allowing people to lose things and then, with her help, to find them again. At least that's what the writings seem to indicate."

"The temple helps people _lose_ things? How?"

"I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet but it does talk about the worshippers who come and have lost 'that which is most important to them.' It says that through prayer and by the hand of the goddess the 'lost shall be found.' I'm sure this is it Sam, Teal'c." Daniel turned back to the wall to continue translating, hopeful that there would be more clues.

"Are you saying, Daniel Jackson, that the building may have hidden the Colonel? We have seen no evidence of any technology or anything that could be capable of hiding O'Neill."

"Maybe that's our problem" Daniel exclaimed. "We've assumed it's either aliens or something high tech that's responsible. What if that's not it at all."

"What are you saying?"

"Don't you remember all those old horror movies?" he asked. "Remember the fireplaces that turned around, the secret doorways, all those kinds of things in haunted houses? What if that's what we have here?"

"Secret doorways?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, why not. Maybe he's right here, right under our noses but we have yet to find him."

"But if that was true, why wouldn't he simply have radioed us or even just shouted?"

"I don't know', Daniel began to look frustrated. "Look, this is the first theory we have to go on. I'm sorry if you don't think it's worth anything but I thought it might help."

"I'm sorry Daniel, you're right. It's totally plausible – I guess I'm thinking too much again!" Both the men realized, at that moment, that she was holding on by a thread. Sam took things very much to heart and hated when she couldn't solve something. They also knew that she cared greatly for the Colonel and felt it was her place to make sure he was okay. "So, what do you think we should do?" she finally asked

"I'm going to finish translating this to see if it gives us anymore information. In the meantime, why don't you try and check out the walls and anything that looks like it might conceal something."

At least now they had something to do, she thought. She radioed Fredericks and explained Daniel's theory. He called his men in and for the rest of the day they checked out everything they could.

They did find a number of hidden rooms and cubby holes, adding weight to Daniel's theory. The first time Sam had found a room concealed behind a panel her heart had practically leapt into her throat. She was sure it would open and she'd find the Colonel. Instead, she'd found the skeleton of a long-dead rodent. Still, it had given her hope that they _would_ find him.

It finally grew too dark to continue and Sam called everyone back out of the temple and into camp. They compared notes and began to map out where they'd look the next day. Daniel had been totally silent, going over his notes.

"Daniel, did you find anything else?" Sam finally asked

"Huh?" He looked up, startled. "Oh, sorry. I was just checking this over, to make sure I got it right. It's some kind of test, clearly given to supplicants. I think what would happen is that the priests or priestesses of the temple would take an offering and hide it. The person who gave it would then have the opportunity to find it. If they did, it meant they were blessed and could leave with their 'offering'. If they didn't, whatever it was would remain in the temple as a gift to the goddess. Not finding it meant that the supplicant was a sinner and would therefore need to give this gift as a way to atone. I think that it was expected that whatever was 'offered' was of real value to the supplicant."

"It sounds like the priests or priestesses would have a vested interest in hiding the object really well, so they could keep it!" Smith chimed in. "Sounds like a scam to me!"

"It probably was", answered Daniel seriously. "Of course to these people it would have been very serious and was part of their religion. I'm also sure that the guardians of this place would have to make sure that some, at least, of the offerings were found, otherwise it would look too suspicious."

"They probably picked the stuff they didn't want", Beaton said.

"So, what does this mean for O'Neill?" It was Teal'c who finally brought the conversation back to what was important.

"Well, it means he's probably in one of the really hard hiding places. Some place they didn't want people to find."

"But we've tried everything Major", Beaton added. "We've used the metal detectors, sound scanners, everything and there's no sign of him. Surely we should be able to find him if he's really here!"

Sam bit her lip, having thought much the same thing. They'd been over practically every square inch of the temple, checking walls, room, nooks and crannies. She didn't know where else they _could_ look.

"It's got to be somewhere where no one would think to look", Daniel said. "They needed to have a place to hide large objects that they didn't want found. Let's think! Where haven't we looked – someplace that's not obvious but that's in the temple?"

The two teams sat around the fire, thinking of any possibility but not coming up with anything.

"We've checked every wall in the damn place", Major Fredericks said in frustration. "We've climbed up on the roof and looked through every window and door. We've been up and down every staircase there is and haven't seen a damn thing!"

"Down", Daniel said softly.

"What?" Sam looked at him in perplexity.

"We haven't looked 'down'", he replied.

"But Daniel, there is no 'down'. We've determined that it doesn't have any kind of basement or cellar. The temple is build on solid rock. It only goes 'up' to the second floor."

"I know, but there may be a hidden cellar or well or something. Other than checking to see if there was a door or stairway leading down we haven't bothered to look at the floors in each of the rooms."

"Great – you mean we now have to go back and pound on all the floors?", Smith whined.

The others, including his two teammates, all glared at him.

"Okay, okay – sorry – I don't mean I won't help – it just seems a waste of time."

"Well, it's all that's left."

The next morning Sam organized everyone and mapped out the temple. They figured it would take a couple of days to go through the whole thing. Of course, they all hoped that they'd find him well before that.

* * *

><p>He was cold, so cold. He had tried to keep warm under his sleeping bag but it didn't seem to be helping anymore. He could no longer move or even try to look after his wounds. His mouth was like sandpaper and he knew that there was no use trying to eat, even if he had been hungry.<p>

He kept falling in and out of consciousness and had stopped thinking of his friends. Now, his thoughts were on those who had already died before him. He had come to the realization, and the acceptance, that he wasn't going to be found. He was now preparing himself to meet those of his friends and family who were already gone.

He'd even prayed that he would soon see his son. He didn't know if he was worthy or not, but he hoped – in fact, it was the only thing that made dying bearable.

Finally, the pain, the thirst, the cold, the hopelessness was too much. With a final goodbye he slipped into a deep sleep, from which he expected never to wake up – at least not in this universe.

* * *

><p>It was getting late again but Sam was determined to keep going. Two more SG teams had arrived to take their place but both Sg1 and Sg8 had insisted on staying. With more hands there was more likelihood they would find him.<p>

She was so tired! She rubbed her hands over her eyes and forced herself to stay awake and alert. She would not give up – not until they'd found him. God – she didn't know what she'd do if they didn't. Colonel O'Neill – Jack – meant too much to all of them – meant too much to her.

"SAM!" Daniel's voice shouted through the ever growing darkness of the evening. "I've found something!"

Sam turned and ran towards Daniel. She could hear the others coming from all directions, all of them hoping, praying that it was the Colonel.

She saw Daniel kneeling down in a dark hallway. He was tapping the floor gently.

"It's sounds different", he said, excitement in his voice. "There's something under here."

One of the men from Sg9 shone a light where Daniel was kneeling. "It doesn't look any different", the Captain said.

"No, but it is. Look here", he pointed. "You can see the seam."

Everyone looked closely and Sam could feel her heart start to beat faster. Daniel was right. There was a crack between some of the stones. "Be careful Daniel. If it is hollow under there you could fall through."

The archaeologist hadn't even thought of that! With a startled look he scampered over to the side, away from the stones. After he had moved all of them could suddenly see that the stones, in an area about 3 feet square, were a slightly different color and that a seam ran around them.

"He's right", Fredericks said, squatting down. There is something different here. But how the hell do we find out what's underneath? These stones look bloody heavy."

"Maybe there's a lever or something", Sam replied. Instantly, everyone began to search for some mechanism which would open what they hoped was a trap door.

After 15 minutes they'd come no closer to finding anything. "We could blast it open", someone suggested.

"Yeah, and if O'Neill _is_ down there – what then? The rocks will fall and crush him!"

"We'll have to go back and get some equipment Major", Lieutenant Sigorski said. "I don't think there's any way we can get in with what we've got."

Sam agreed, although she hated the thought that they would have to wait. Something inside was telling her that this was it. She was sure he was here – in what kind of shape she had no way of knowing. She just prayed he was alive.

She nodded to the Lieutenant and he headed back with his team to the SGC. It was only after they'd gone that she happened to notice Teal'c. He hadn't said very much but now he was looking up, a strange expression on his face.

"What is it Teal'c?" she asked.

"I do not know Major Carter. I believe I saw movement in the window of that building", he pointed to the tower overhead.

"Do you think someone's there?" she asked softly, pulling out her hand gun.

"I do not know", he replied. "I believe we should look, however."

After a few minutes discussion it was decided that Teal'c, along with Sg8, would try and find out what was in the tower.

"Be careful Teal'c, Tony", Sam said. "We don't know what's up there."

"We will Major", Fredericks replied, "although I was up there yesterday. There was nothing there – just a lot of guano."

Teal'c looked confused at this so Sam let out a small laugh, "bird poop Teal'c. It's just a nicer way of saying it."

He nodded, his face showing no expression, although his mind again wondering at human speech.

Sam watched as the men headed out. They were soon lost to sight as they entered the building and she was left with Daniel and Sg9. She could feel her frustration mount and wanted to scream at the waiting. They had to find him – they had to get him out of there!

Suddenly, there was a flurry overhead and what looked like hundreds of birds flew out of the window. Hopefully the birds were what Teal'c had seen. She continued to look up when she heard a sound from Captain Mary Codewell.

"Major", Codewell said, a strange tone in her voice.

"What is it Captain."

"Look Ma'am". The Captain was pointing down. Where there had been solid rock, a moment ago, now there was a hole in the ground.

"Oh my God", Daniel exclaimed. He hurriedly threw himself to his knees, quickly followed by Sam. They both tried to look down but it was too deep and too dark. "Flashlight!" Daniel said, holding his hand out but continuing to look down.

Someone handed him a powerful flashlight and he shone it down the hole. It seemed to go on forever, and the light wouldnl't penetrate to the bottom.

"Damn – if he is in here it's a long way down. I don't know if -"

"If he's there he's alive Daniel!" Sam answered, refusing to accept anything else.

"Uh, okay. How are we going to find out if he's there?"

"We'll get one of the floodlights", Airman Trellis answered. "I can get one in just a couple of minutes."

"Good – go", she said shortly. She then leaned into the hole, carefully holding on to Daniel. The last thing they needed was for her to fall in. "SIR!" she shouted. "COLONEL O'NEILL, ARE YOU DOWN THERE?"

There was nothing but silence, and she grimaced, wishing that Trellis would hurry up. "COLONEL!"

"JACK!" Daniel shouted, his deeper voice sounding louder in the still night air. While they'd been waiting the sun had set and it was growing ever darker. Just at that moment Teal'c returned with Sg8.

"Have you found something Major Carter", he asked, quickly moving to her side.

"Yes. When those birds flew away it somehow opened a trap door. It's deep though and we can't see to the bottom. We're waiting for – oh, thank you Airman." She reached out and took the battery operated flood light. With Teal'c helping she managed to turn it on and shine it down into the narrow shaft.

It took a minute for their eyes to make out what they were seeing. The shaft was at least 30 to 40 feet deep and very narrow. It was also extremely dark!

"I see something down there", Daniel cried. "It looks like a body – could it be -"

"It is O'Neill" Teal'c said definitively. His eyesight was better than theirs and he could clearly see the crumpled body of a man.

"God, how could he survive that?" Fredericks said softly. "Is he moving?"

"It does not appear so", Teal'c replied. "However I am sure that he lives. O'Neill is strong."

"How are we going to get down there?" Smith asked. "It's pretty narrow?"

"One of us will have to rappel down", Fredericks answered. "I can do it."

"No, it'll be better if it's me", Sam said quietly. "I'm the smallest and it'll be too tight for any of you to come back up with him." It was a good reason – a legitimate reason – but even if it hadn't been, she would still have insisted on being the one to go down. She had to be with him, and as soon as she could.

* * *

><p>He was dreaming, he knew. He kept imagining that he heard their voices but was sure it couldn't really be them. They weren't coming – they were lost, gone. No one was coming for him – other than maybe God, if he was lucky, or something darker, if he got what he knew he deserved.<p>

No, the voices were just in his imagination, so he wasn't going to answer – even if he could. He was totally still now, because any movement had become impossible. He was dying – he just wished it would hurry up and happen so that maybe the pain would go away.

Light – there was light up above him. For a minute the old Jack O'Neill emerged and he wanted to laugh. It was just too cliché – he wondered if somehow he was supposed to follow it? That would be fine, if he could move. As it was, he just kept his eyes focused on that damn light overhead. God, I sure hope you're not teasing me with that thing and aren't gonna keep me from going on up there!

After a while the voices, the light, all started to merge together and he felt himself drift off again. The last thing he heard was his name spoken by the woman he – okay Jack, you're dying so just say it - by the woman he loved.

* * *

><p>"Here you go Major Carter." Teal'c had arrived back with the equipment. "I received a call on my radio and Dr. Frasier has come through from earth" he said. "She making her way towards us and will stay on the radio so that you can inform her of O'Neill's condition.<p>

Janet thanked him and then took her radio and called Janet.

"Sam", the doctor said, "has he said anything?"

"No, nothing Janet. He hasn't moved either. I'm afraid he's -"

"Don't think that way", Frasier said. "It's probable that he's just unconscious. I'll stay on the line so let me know when you get down."

With a quick word she signed off and then got her equipment on and grabbed the supplies she'd need - and that she would be able to carry. Once everything was ready she nodded and began her descent.

It was difficult in such a narrow space. She was unable to push off with any great affect which meant that the descent was almost straight down. Thank goodness for the men up top who were lowering her carefully and slowly.

It didn't take long to get to the bottom, although to Sam it felt like forever. She wanted to hurry but at the same time she wanted to slow down. She was afraid of what she was going to find. If he was – no, don't thing that!

Suddenly she was down. She tugged on the rope to let them know and she stopped, her feet a few feet from the ground. She looked carefully around in order to find a place to put her feet. It was difficult as O'Neill's body was filling most of the space. She could also see that he'd removed his pack and things were lying around haphazardly.

She finally found a spot and signaled again. She was lowered a few more feet and then tugged on the rope once more. She then quickly undid her harness and squatted down to check on the Colonel.

He _had _been alive – she could tell from his pack and from seeing that he had a sleeping bag draped around him. But the fact that he wasn't moving –

She carefully put her fingers on his neck, trying to find his pulse. She had to force herself to calm down as her own pulse was pounding so hard she couldn't feel his. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying desperately to feel life.

"Sam?" a whisper of sound. Her eyes shot open and she found herself looking into the brown, pain-filled depths of her commander – and her friend.

"Sir? You're alive!" she said. Probably the most stupid words she'd ever uttered – but the most heartfelt.

"I am?" he asked, softly, so very softly.

"You are Colonel, and we're going to get you out of here and back home real quick." She suddenly snapped out of the euphoria that had hit her upon hearing his voice. He was in bad shape – that she could tell – so she'd better get moving. "I'm just going to let the others know you're okay and then we're going up together, okay?"

"Uh – okay" he answered. She could tell he was pretty much totally out of it, although he sounded reasonably lucid, thank God and seemed to know her. From the amount of blood on his head and face she worried that he ay have suffered a fractured skull.

She keyed the radio. "He's alive", she said shortly, "but he's in bad shape. I'm going to see what I can do but we need to get him up as soon as possible."

"Roger that Major" Fredericks answered. She was pretty sure Daniel and Teal'c would be too overcome to answer calmly.

When she moved the sleeping bag she had to keep herself from gasping. He was covered in blood and it was obvious that he had a number of broken bones. He shoulder was displaced and his arm lay at an odd angle and was terribly swollen. His legs looked the worse though – both of them broken and the one at an unnatural angle as well. She didn't know about any internal injuries, but she would have been shocked if there weren't any. How the hell was she going to get him up?

She took her radio and gave Janet a quick rundown of what she could see. He was semi-seated, although not moving and he _had_ removed his pack, so she hoped there was no problem with his spine, although she couldn't tell for sure.

In the middle of talking to Janet Sam heard the Colonel groan. "Just a second Janet, something's wrong. Colonel, what is it?" She leaned forward and touched his face until he looked at her. His eyes were unfocused and he didn't seem to recognize her now. He groaned again, this time more loudly. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Janet, he's in real pain here. What do I do?"

After listening to the doctor she finally nodded and pulled out the medical kit she'd brought. She tried to bind up the shoulder and arm, although it was difficult in the tight space. She was pretty sure there wasn't much she could do for his legs. They'd have to deal with that back at the SGC. The Colonel had already bandaged the head wound, although blood had already seeped through. Rather than disturbing his work, she simply wrapped more bandages over top, hoping they would stop any remaining bleeding.

When the Colonel groaned again, for the third time, she'd had enough. She opened the kit and pulled out the morphine and a hypodermic needle. Janet had said to avoid it if at all possible – well, it wasn't possible. He was in terrible pain and it was only going to get worse when they pulled him out of here. He needed the relief.

"Sam?" he gasped, as if he terrified she'd left him.

"I'm just giving you something for the pain Sir and then we'll have you out of here in no time."

"Kay", he said. She was sure she hadn't imagined the relief in his voice. She couldn't envision what he'd been through, stuck in this dark hole for days.

She injected him with the morphine and watched as he slowly seemed to relax. His eyes remained open, and fixed on her, but they began to lose focus. After a few minutes he looked calmer and he'd stopped groaning.

Okay, now for the hard part. She contacted the men at the surface and waited until they had sent down the stretcher. It was a basket stretcher and it was going to be hard to maneuver, but she knew he wasn't up to going up in a harness. It would probably kill him.

She ended up having to lean the stretcher up against the wall, at an angle. There was no way it would fit lying down. Now, the problem was how to get the Colonel into it. There was no way he could stand, so it meant she was going to have to lift him and place him in it. This was going to be fun! Normally, she could carry him, if not for a long time. In these cramped quarters it was going to be practically impossible!

She sent up as many things as she could, trying to leave more room to move. Once all the supplies were up, except for the sleeping bag which she'd put back over the Colonel, she took a deep breath. "Okay Sir, this isn't going to be pleasant. I just wish you could give me a hand."

She finally decided the best thing to do would be to take his good arm and try to lift him over her shoulder, just as if she was going to do a fireman's lift. Once standing, she'd move him to the stretcher and lean him back into it. Her one worry was that his legs were going to have to take some of the pressure until he was tied in. Unfortunately, she didn't see any way around that.

It took a lot longer than she'd hoped, but eventually he was in and secured. She attached the ropes and her harness and then contacted Fredericks. "Okay Major, we're ready to come up. I'm going to stay with the Colonel so bring us up slowly. I'll signal if we need to stop."

The tension was taken up and the stretcher began to straighten as it was lifted up through the shaft. Jack appeared to be sleeping, or unconscious, for which she thanked God. She held on to the basket by wrapping her arms tightly around it and watched him carefully as they ascended.

It was about halfway up when his eyes opened and he looked directly at her. She could have sworn, just for a moment, that he smiled at her. After that however, his eyes grew big and he started to move his head back and forth. After a few seconds he began to bang it on the back of the stretcher, either in pain or fear, she couldn't tell which.

He was groaning in earnest by the time they reached the surface and she figured that the pain must have been unbearable, even with the morphine. It was only as they pulled the stretcher up through the top of the shaft, that he again fell unconscious.

Fortunately there were people with medical training so in moments, under the direction of Dr. Frasier, they had him hooked up to IV's and covered with blankets. With hardly a word they began moving quickly, heading back towards the gate.

The only good thing, thought Sam, was with all the traffic back and forth and clear path had been worn which made travelling much faster and easier. It was still too far, however, and she was worried. The Colonel looked awful, now that she could see him more clearly. They had him on oxygen, his face covered with a mask, but still, she could see how pale and lifeless he looked. She was very afraid.

"You did good Sam", Daniel was beside her and he took her arm in his hand. "He'll be okay, you know. It's going to take a while, and he'll be crabby as hell, but he'll come out of this."

"I don't know Daniel", she cried. "You didn't see him. This is bad, really bad. Even if he does survive – I don't know if he'll ever walk again.


	4. Infirmary

_**Sorry - a short one tonight (I'm really tired!). I had hoped to finish this story today, but I guess it will be one more chapter. I'm also hoping to finish The Zagat soon, and then I'll return to Skid Row. Sorry for the delay. That's what happens when you start too many stories at once!**_

"How is he Janet?" The three members of Sg1 all stood as the tired looking doctor entered the room. They'd been back just over an hour and had been waiting impatiently while Frasier examined a very ill Jack O'Neill. He hadn't regained consciousness once after he'd been pulled from the hole.

"He's alive", she answered, "and I've done what I can. I've called for an orthopedic surgeon to come and look at his legs. They're beyond what I can fix."

"But he'll be okay?" Sam looked directly at the doctor, willing her to give her the answer she needed.

"I don't know", Janet sighed. "He's in rough shape. He was in that shaft for days and he's suffering from multiple breaks, contusions, a serious concussion and internal bleeding. Besides that, he's got a lovely case of exposure and pneumonia. He's strong, and he's a fighter, but this is going to be a tough battle, even for the Colonel."

"Can we see him Janet?" Daniel felt as helpless as the others and wanted to _do _something – anything to help, even if it meant simply sitting by his bed.

"I'm sorry guys, not right now. I've got too many nurses and too much equipment around him and hopefully the specialist will be here soon. I'll make sure someone comes out and give you updates and I'll let you know if anything changes. In the meantime, you all need to get cleaned up and get something to eat."

Eating was the last thing they wanted to do, but they did make their way down to the cafeteria to grab a cup of coffee. Sam felt like she wanted to rush back to the Infirmary, but trusted that Janet would contact them immediately if anything happened.

"I can't believe he did that", Daniel muttered as he took a sip of scalding coffee.

"Did what Daniel?"

"Went off on a mission after telling us he was going to his cabin for the holidays."

"Did he?"

"Did he what?" Daniel looked at her in confusion.

"Did he actually say he was going to Minnesota? I can't remember him telling us that. I think we just assumed it."

"Major Carter is correct", Teal'c added. "I too took it for granted he was visiting his cabin. It was only as I was leaving that I began to wonder. O'Neill did not want to speak with us before we left. I felt he was hiding something from us."

"But _why_?" Daniel asked. "Why wouldn't he just tell us the truth?"

"And what would have been the result, Daniel Jackson?"

"Result? Well – I would have offered to stay with him so he wasn't alone", he offered.

"Precisely. That is why I believe he said nothing."

"Why? Because he didn't want me to stay with him? I mean, I know Jack can be crabby sometimes, but I think we're still friends."

"It's because he _is _your friend that he didn't tell you. In fact, it's because he's a friend of all of us. Don't you see – he knows us well enough that he knew if he told us what he was doing, we would all have insisted on staying, He didn't want us to miss out on our holidays so he kept quiet about his plans – or lack of plans."

"Indeed, I believe you are correct Major Carter. O'Neill would not want to spoil our time with friends and family."

"Great! So you mean Jack was being self-sacrificing again? The idiot!" Daniel fumed. "When will he learn that we _like_ spending time with him? It wouldn't have been a burden at all."

"I don't think it was just that Daniel", Sam replied softly. He looked at her with a frown. "I think it's also because he has a hard time during the holidays. I don't think he wanted to even think about them – that's why he asked to go on this mission."

Daniel froze, suddenly aware that he'd been atypically clueless. He, of any of them, should have realized. He'd known Jack back when the Colonel had been suicidal over the death of his son – or at least when he hadn't cared about living. He knew the Jack still felt the loss and the guilt deeply. Of _course_ he wouldn't have wanted to celebrate the holidays – he never did.

"Damn!" he said softly. "What was I thinking?"

"The same as all of us Daniel – and that was how much we were looking forward to being off and seeing our loved ones. I don't think any of us really thought about the Colonel when we figured he had something planned."

"Do not feel guilty Samantha Carter. O'Neill would be very upset if he found out you were feeling that way. He was pleased that you were visiting your brother. He told me you needed to 'relax' and stop thinking for a while."

She laughed, although it almost sounded like a sob. Yes, that sounded like the Colonel!

"And as for you Daniel Jackson, he was also happy that you were to visit Catherine Langford and 'play with more rocks'. He cares for you both deeply and worried about you. It gave him comfort to know that all of us were enjoying ourselves while he did not have to pretend to enjoy the season."

The both recognized that what Teal'c had said was the truth. They also realized that, as much as they cared for the Colonel, there were times that he needed his space and that he didn't always need them there, hovering over him. Still – Daniel was a bit mad. He somehow felt like none of this should have happened.

"Well, at least he was with another team", he finally said. "I hope they treated him right!"

The crease between Sam's brows made Daniel and Teal'c turn to her, seeing that something was up.

"What?" Daniel wanted to know. "Why are you looking like that?"

"Huh? Oh, just something that Major Fredericks said. He more or less told me they hadn't treated the Colonel well. I was just wondering what that was about."

"Probably resented him coming with them. It would be hard having a senior officer tag along when you were used to your own command."

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe we'll find out more when the Colonel is conscious." With those words the three friends instantly returned to their worry about the man they all cared for.

It was hours before they heard anything specific, although Janet had been as good as her word and had sent her nurses out with regular reports. Not that there was really much for them to say. Other than the fact that the Colonel was still with them, and that they were waiting for the specialist, there wasn't much to tell.

Finally, as they all sat outside the Infirmary, exhausted but refusing to move, Janet came out. She plunked herself down beside Teal'c, almost too exhausted to even speak.

"So? How is he? What did the specialist say?" Carter was impatient and ready to burst.

"It doesn't look good", she replied wearily. "His one leg is okay – it was a simple fracture and should heal with no problem. It's the other leg and his pelvis."

"His pelvis? I didn't know anything was wrong there."

"I didn't either, until I got a good look at the X-Rays. It's been cracked, badly. That's not the worst of it however. His right leg is practically shattered. It's broken in numerous places and in some cases the bone simply splintered. Dr. Rampon figures he probably landed on it first, with most of his body weight."

"So, what does that mean?" Daniel wanted to know. "Can it be fixed?"

"Maybe, if we can save it it's going to mean many surgeries and the entire leg will have to be pinned."

"What do you mean 'if we can save it'?" Daniel was looking upset, which wasn't surprising.

"It may be too badly damaged", she answered bluntly. "There's a lot of soft tissue damage as well as nerve damage. With all that the doctor things he may end up losing it."

"Losing it?" said Sam softly. "You mean amputate?"

Janet sighed and rubbed her eyes. Finally pulling her hands down she looked at Sam. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"No way! No way in hell!" Daniel stood up, looking furious. "You are not giving up on him. You know as well as I do that Jack is strong and that he comes back from almost anything. Tell the doctor that you're not giving up!"

"Daniel, there are some things he may not be able to come back from", Frasier answered wearily.

"Well this isn't one of them! You tell him to operate. Jack will be just fine – it may take a while, but he's going to make it."

"Even if he does, he won't be eligible for active duty. He'll be relegated to a desk job or he'll be forced to retire."

Sam had sat quietly through Daniel's rant. She knew that losing his leg would kill the Colonel. He was an extremely active man and being forced to retire, on medical grounds, would infuriate him. Why wasn't there something they could do? Why hadn't they found him sooner? God – this was all her fault. If only she'd been able to figure it out!

"Stop it Sam", Janet touched her friend on the arm, well aware of how Samantha Carter's mind worked. "This is no one's fault, except perhaps the aliens who built the damn temple. None of you did anything wrong, nor was there anything you could have done differently. You're not mind readers nor are you miracle workers. You're just normal people and you have to stop beating yourselves up – all of you!"

Sam tried to listen to her friend, tried to believe what she was saying, but it was hard. She wanted to help him. Hell, she had found him – why wasn't there something -"

"What about the hand-device?" Teal'c said quietly. "Would it not help heal O'Neill's injuries?"

Three people turned and stared at him, their faces blank. It was Sam who finally broke, as a grin appeared on her face. "Of course – why didn't I think of that? The Healing Device _can_ help."

"Uh Sam – there's just one problem – we don't _have_ one. The only one we had was sent to Area 51 where they tried to 'back engineer' it. The last I heard it was in pieces and they couldn't figure out how to get it together again."

"I know. I thought of the same thing Sam", Janet added. "But Daniel's right, we don't have one so I'm afraid we have to use conventional medicine."

"So, we don't have one. But that doesn't mean we can't _get_ one!" Sam exclaimed. She was now a woman on a mission. "We'll just have to find a Tokra and have him or her bring one to us."

"That's easier said than done", Daniel looked skeptical. "We haven't exactly heard from the Tokra in quite a while. Not since we broke off formal communications. How do you propose to contact them?"

"We'll send out an SOS. Eventually they'll hear it and come to see us."

"Uh – are you sure? Knowing them they're just as likely to ignore it. Besides which, I don't think Hammond is authorized to send out SOS's to the Tokra through the gate."

"He'll make an exception for the Colonel, I'm sure of it. And all we have to do is get word to my Dad. He'll come through for us."

"If he isn't on some secret undercover mission!" Daniel _wanted_ to have hope, but he was frightened it wouldn't work.

"I will ask to return to Chulak", Teal'c offered, "and will spread the word through Master Bratac and the free Jaffa. They too might know of a hand device we could borrow."

"Good idea Teal'c. Well Janet, we have work to do!" Sam stood up, re-energized now that there was something on which to focus.

Janet watched the three teammates head off to General Hammond's office and couldn't help but shake her head. She hoped they weren't going to be disappointed.

* * *

><p>Jack knew he was in the Infirmary. He'd been here too many times not to know the smell and the feel of the place. Of course, he had no idea, at least at first, why he was here. He tried to move but quickly realized that was a mistake. Although clearly doped up on painkillers, the movement had still hurt like the devil. Best to stay still.<p>

He slowly attempted to take an inventory of himself, but was still so groggy it was hard. He could feel that his shoulder and arm were strapped up and he had the damn tube down his throat. He was pretty sure there was another tube, much lower, stuck into him. He hated that but figured it was probably better than him peeing the bed. He suddenly frowned, realizing that he couldn't _feel_ anything down there. God – he started to panic. He was paralyzed! Either that or they'd taken his legs. He could hear the heart beat monitor speed up as his panic grew. Soon the alarms were going off.

God no! He couldn't live like this! Where was his team? Where was Sam? Why wasn't someone helping him? Why didn't someone come?

By the time Janet arrived, running from her office in response to the alarms, Jack was unconscious once more. She could see the nurse checking his vital signs and the monitors. After a moment the young Captain looked up and smiled, indicating everything was now fine. Janet stood by the bed and frowned down at her patient. "What was that Jack O'Neill?" She continued to study her friend, and prayed Sam would find the Tokra.


	5. Anagolay

_**After all the whump I decided to go fluffy. Sorry! It's too close to the holidays now to do mean, angsty whumpy stuff. Hope you enjoy**_

In the end it was Teal'c who found a healing device. Sam had tried contacting the Tokra, but got no answer, until finally they heard from someone called Fe'lan. He simply informed them that they were 'occupied' and did not have a healing device available. When she asked about her father she was simply told that he was 'not there'. She wanted to scream and suddenly felt totally in agreement with the Colonel. The Tokra were fair-weather friends for sure. You couldn't trust them as far as you could spit!

Teal'c, on the other hand, was in luck. He spoke to Bratac, who put the word out that they needed a healing device, and quickly. Within hours one of the Jaffa had shown up with the device. Teal'c didn't ask where it had come from but simply thanked the young warrior and, with a quick goodbye to his erstwhile mentor, headed back to earth.

"Teal'c, any luck?" Daniel asked from control room, speaking into the mike.

"Indeed Daniel Jackson, I have it here." He held up the device but then immediately headed to the infirmary. Daniel asked Walter to call Sam over the intercom and have her make her way to the Infirmary.

"Here you go Major Carter", Teal'c handed the object to Sam as soon as she entered the room. She took it reluctantly, suddenly worried as to whether or not she could do this.

"You'll be fine", Daniel walked in at that moment. "Just relax and everything will be okay."

"But what if I -"

"Stop it Sam", Janet said from the door to the Iso room. "You know you can do this. Don't second guess yourself or think too much. Do what Daniel said and simply relax. It'll be okay."

"How is he Janet", Sam asked. Maybe he was okay enough so that she wouldn't have to do this – or she would just have to help a bit.

"He's hanging in there, but his leg is looking bad. The surgeon doesn't think we can operate – he feels there's too much damage and I tend to agree. The circulation has been severely compromised and I'm afraid of infection or even gangrene. I need you to try the healing device now."

"Okay", she answered quietly. Still, she was frightened. What if she couldn't do this? She had had limited success in the past and she'd never tried it on someone she – cared for.

She followed Janet into the room where Jack lay, hooked up to all sorts of machines. He looked so lost, so alone. She wanted to rush up to him and touch him, hold him. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and her heart felt like it was breaking.

"Sam?"

"What? Oh, sorry Janet." She approached the bed and looked down at him. This had to work. With a deep breath, and a small prayer she fit the device onto her hand. She then took a couple of steps, so that she was standing by his leg. It was covered with a cage so that the sheets wouldn't touch it. She looked up at Janet who nodded and then reached over to remove it.

Sam wanted to gasp when she saw the shape his leg was in. The open wounds were bandaged, but the leg was black, blue and purple and horribly swollen and misshapen. No wonder Janet had said there wasn't much they could do.

With another deep breath she held her hand out and closed her eyes. At first there were too many thoughts, too many worries, too many 'what ifs' rolling around in her mind. She couldn't _focus_ couldn't _concentrate_. She started to panic, sure that she'd fail.

"Do not worry. You can heal him – he is your beloved."

The voice was strange so Sam slowly opened her eyes. Standing in front of her was a young girl. Her hair was blond and very messy looking. She had huge brown, soft eyes and a faint smile. Sam had no idea who she was, but could feel herself relax.

"Who are you?" she asked the girl.

"I am Anagolay", she replied simply, her smile growing. She bent her head and continued to look at Sam, in a very knowing, but kind way.

"But why are you here?" Sam finally asked. She looked around but everyone was standing, looking at the Colonel as if they couldn't see the girl. She turned to face Anagolay again. "I don't understand. Can't they see you?"

"No, for I am here for you alone. You are the one who lost that which was most precious to you, but you found him again. For that I am here to give you my blessing."

Sam was confused, although not frightened. Surely this couldn't really be the goddess of whom Daniel spoke! That was just – myth.

"No, I am not a myth", the girl answered, somehow seeming to read Sam's mind. "You came to my world, to my temple to find what you had lost. I am here to bless you and to tell you that never again will you lose that which is most precious. For your love and your sacrifice – for all you have given – know that you will remain together always, in this world and the next."

Sam couldn't help but let the words of the – apparition – affect her. She wanted to smile, to laugh – to hug the young girl – or goddess, or whatever she was. At the same time, she knew this was probably simply the wanderings of a mind and spirit tired and sore after the last few days.

"He will be well", the girl stated. "You will heal him. Do not forget, however, that you found your precious one and you cannot let him go."

Before she had a chance to answer or to even ask what Anagolay meant, the young girl was gone. She looked again and realized that no one had moved or spoken. They continued to stare at the Colonel. She shook herself gently and closed her eyes again. This time she felt relaxed and confident.

Almost instantly she was able to focus her mind, and her heart, and simply _feel_ that she was healing him. She couldn't think of him as Colonel or O'Neill or even _Sir_ – she had to think of him as Jack. This was Jack's leg she was healing, Jack's body, Jack's life. She could begin to feel the surge of energy flow through her to the hand device.

She lost track of time, unsure how long she stood there, the healing device doing its work. Eventually she could sense when it shut off and she collapsed against the side of the bed. She could feel Janet's arms around her, but was much too out of it to care or to think about what had happened.

"I'm okay", she said after a couple of minutes. "How is he?" She stood up straight, wanting to see and yet afraid to do so.

"I don't know", Janet replied. "Let me check him."

Sam looked down at the Colonel's leg and _thought_ it looked better although couldn't be sure. She wanted to peek under the bandages but knew she had to let Janet check him out.

"It's looking good Sam", Janet said cautiously. "It looks like the open wounds have healed. There's still bruising, but I expect that will take some time to go away. I'm going to need to get the portable X-Ray machine to check out the bones, but from the look of his leg at least some of them are better."

Sam sagged in relief, although she needed for Janet to tell her he was okay before she would truly allow herself to collapse. She waited impatiently while one of the nurses brought the machine. She left the room while they X-Rayed him and then she had to wait while Janet and the orthopedic surgeon looked at the pictures.

She knew, when Janet came back with a big grin on her face that everything was going to be okay. "His leg looks great Sam. You did it!"

"So he won't -"

"Lose his leg? No, it'll be just fine. It will probably be slightly sore for a few days but other than that it looks fine."

"What about his other wounds?"

"Well, the healing device appears to have helped somewhat, although he's not completely better. I expect that most of the energy went to heal his leg. We – or I should say you – can try it again later if you want to do some more healing, although the injuries he has now will get better on their own – eventually."

"Thank you Janet", Sam sagged against the bed once again.

"Don't thank me. You're the one who did it and Teal'c is the one who found the damn thing. I think you'd better go rest now. That took a lot out of you and you look like you could use a long nap."

"I'd like to stay Janet. What if he wakes up?"

"Well, I can assure you that's not going to be for a while", her friend said. "I have him doped up pretty well. Look, I promise I'll have a nurse call you if he looks like he's going to wake up, although I suspect it'll be hours yet. You need your sleep."

In the end Sam agreed, knowing she was almost dead on her feet. She made her way slowly to a VIP room, trying to figure out what had just happened.

It must have been a dream, she decided. She was exhausted, stressed – it's no wonder she was imagining things. It had probably been a good thing, though. Whatever had happened it had allowed her to relax and concentrate – and to heal the Colonel.

With a smile she climbed on the bed and pulled the covers over herself. Things were going to be fine. Soon they'd be back to normal.

Floating. That was his first thought, that he was floating. Of course it wasn't long before he knew exactly what that feeling meant. He was in the Infirmary and he was high as a kite. They must have him on some pretty good pain killers for him to feel quite so – floaty! That thought made him frown – at least inside, he didn't think he could manage even a tiny facial movement at this point. If they had him on that many painkillers it usually meant that things were really bad. Janet knew how much he hated the damn things and tended to avoid giving him the really strong stuff unless absolutely necessary.

Okay then – what had happened and what was wrong with him? He tried, as hard as he could, to remember, to think back on his last mission and figure out what had gone wrong. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried he simply couldn't remember a thing. The last thing he _did_ remember was watching Teal'c walk through the event horizon.

Now, why would he have watched Teal'c do that on his own? Why wasn't he with him – or the rest of the team for that matter? Where was Teal'c going all by himself?

Damn, he wished he could remember. Well, if he couldn't figure out _how_ at least he could figure out _what?_ He started to take an inventory of himself, but drifted off after starting with his head wound the bandages around his head.

When next he awoke he felt a bit less drugged up although he was still on painkillers. This time though he could open his eyes, although only for a second. He didn't see anyone, which kind of bothered him. What if something was wrong with his team? What if something had happened to them and he was the only one who made it back? God no, he thought.

"Colonel?"

He could feel the relief spread throughout his body. Sam – er Carter! She was alive and she was here. He must have just missed seeing her.

"Jack" Daniel's voice followed by a deep timbered 'O'Neill' assured him that all his team was present and accounted for. Now all he needed was to hear Doc -"

"Colonel", Frasier said gently. "Come on and open your eyes. You've got visitors."

Well of course he had visitors! They were Sg1 and they _always_ looked after each other and stayed by one another. He didn't really have to open his eyes to know that. Anyway, he was still so tired.

"Colonel, come on. I need you to wake up for me."

"Wh- y" he managed to ask.

"Well, because you've slept a long time and everyone's beginning to think you're lazy!"

"L-zy? Me?"

"Yes you Colonel. Come on."

"No" he muttered. He knew exactly what she wanted and he wasn't about to give it to her. Sadist that she was!

"Colonel please." Sam's gentle voice asked.

Hell – he couldn't say no to Carter. He slowly opened his eyes but he was surprised at the 10 lb weights on each eyelid.

"That's it Sir". Janet again. Damn!

"You're going to be just fine. Do you remember what happened?"

"Uh –" he slowly shook his head, not a single memory sneaking through.

"You went with Sg8 on a mission and while you were there you fell into a 30 ft shaft and were missing for over 2 days. We found you and brought you back to the SGC."

He pondered her explanation, to see if any of it seemed familiar but eventually shook his head. "Nope" he whispered. He didn't remember a thing.

"Well don't worry about it Sir. That's very common and the memories may come back in time. In the meantime would you like to know what happened to you?"

He nodded his head, desperate for information. Normally Janet wouldn't have jumped right to this with any other patient. She knew Jack was different. He wanted – no _needed_ – to be kept informed. There was nothing he hated more, or made him feel more vulnerable, than not having the truth.

"Okay, let's start at the top!" Janet couldn't help but notice his small grin at this and instantly felt a whole lot better. As groggy as he was, he was still in there.

She spent the next 10 minutes carefully explaining his injuries to him. Fortunately, none were life-threatening and would all heal without too much problem. Unless Sam tried the healing device again, it would simply be a matter of time before he was better. She was just glad she didn't even have to mention his legs. They were both fine.

As Janet and the rest of Sg1 watched him drift off, she knew she'd probably have to repeat everything to him again. She wasn't sure how much he had taken in.

"He's sleeping Janet", Sam whispered.

"I know. That's good – it's what he needs. He'll drift in and out as he continues to heal and as long as I have him on pain meds. I'll start weaning him off of them slowly."

"Joy!" Daniel said. He knew what Jack was like when he was in pain, but would refuse to admit it. He could be a total bear!

Still, it was a huge relief to know that he was going to be okay.

Over the next few days O'Neill began to heal and to be more lucid. He still slept a lot and didn't say much but he was clearly getting better quickly.

Sam had offered to use the healing device again, but he'd refused. He knew it took a lot out of her and he hated to use alien technology unless he absolutely had to. They'd finally told him that she'd used it once, to save his leg. He'd been grateful but uncomfortable.

For some reason, he didn't know why, he was feeling very uncomfortable around Carter. Maybe he was getting it from her. She seemed unable to look him in the eye and to fidget anytime she came to see him. He'd tried to find out what was bothering her but neither Teal'c nor Daniel had a clue. They figured it must have been that she'd been worried about him but he knew it was more than that.

There was just something – off – about her and he couldn't put his finger on it.

Another strange thing happened and that was when he received a visit from Tony Fredericks. His team had finally told him about the mission and that he'd been with Sg8. He still couldn't remember it at all, but when the Major walked into the room he could feel himself tense up. He couldn't figure out why he felt such anxiety as he barely knew the man.

"Fredericks" he acknowledged when the man asked if he could come in. "What can I do for you?"

"Colonel, it's good to see you looking better. The last time I saw you I didn't think you were going to make it."

"Well, I'm pretty tough. I understand you helped look for me so I owe you my thanks."

Surprisingly, Fredericks didn't respond. Instead he looked down and stood silently for a few seconds. After a while he straightened and took a deep breath. "Actually Colonel, I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize? What for?" O'Neill looked at him, puzzled. He hadn't heard anything bad from anyone and there didn't seem to be any question that what had happened to him was an accident.

"We – I – was a jerk. We treated you badly on the mission and I'm the reason you were hurt."

"What?"

"You were decent – made it plain you weren't trying to take over. I felt – I don't know – envious of the respect you get and how you're viewed when I've always seen you as someone who flouts the rules and does pretty much what you want. I was ignorant and stupid and as a result my team treated you like crap!"

O'Neill didn't quite know what to say. He couldn't remember anything so felt more surprised than angry. He had to laugh though at Frederick's belief that he didn't follow the rules. God, if the man only knew!

"Uh – well, all I can say is I don't remember anything. If I did I might want to kick your ass – but as it is, I guess we'll forget about it. The next time – if there is a next time – I go on a mission with you, I expect you'll treat me with more respect."

Fredericks nodded, but still didn't look happy. O'Neill knew there was something else, and he tensed, waiting for what he thought might be coming.

"There was something else", he said quietly. "I sent you ahead, on your own, which I never should have done. Not only that, when you went to check in my t – we ignored you. We checked in just a couple of minutes later but there was no response. That must have been when you fell in the hole. I'm going to tell General Hammond, but I wanted to tell you first and to apologize. I was unprofessional and put you in danger. There's no excuse for that and I can assure you, if I remain here I will never do anything like that again."

Jack could read between the lines and it was obvious that he'd started to say 'his team'. The fact that he hadn't and that he'd taken responsibility himself, made Jack respect the man even more. "Uh, I don't know what Hammond will say or do, but as long as you tell me it'll never happen again, I'm happy with that. I don't think it had anything to do with me getting trapped, although it was a damned fool thing to send me off alone. I can't believe I agreed!"

"I expect you wanted to get away from us. We were real jerks to you."

"Really? Wow, and here I can't remember! Probably a good thing."

"I think so Sir."

Jack suddenly grinned. "You know, although I can be unconventional and my mouth sometimes runs away from me – I do follow the rules – at least most of the time. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

The Major finally let a small smile appear. "I guess it just seems that you don't. I'll make sure to not make judgments like that in the future."

"Yeah, probably a good idea."

"Anyway Colonel, I'm glad you're okay and I hope you're better real soon." He went to turn and leave when he stopped. "And by the way – you have an amazing team! They certainly would do anything for you. If you ever decide to retire, I'd love to have them on my team."

"I don't know about that. If you think _I'm _bad about obeying the rules, you should try Jackson. He thinks they're just '_suggestions'._

Fredericks laughed. "Yeah, I could see a bit of that. But then there's Major Carter. Wow, is she ever an amazing – officer. I had no idea. You're a lucky guy Sir."

"I am indeed Major", he replied. "And you keep your paws off of them – they're mine!" He grinned and waved Fredericks out. He didn't know what Hammond was going to do, but his respect for the man had definitely increased.

Of course the conversation left him thinking about his team. Each of them _was_ amazing and he knew he was lucky to have them. No, he was more than lucky – he was blessed. He didn't often think in those terms and had left any kind of formal religion behind years ago – but he still knew that someone, somewhere had given him a gift greater than almost anything he'd ever received, except for maybe his son. This time, however, he was going to make sure he didn't do anything to destroy it.

Finally the day arrived when he was able to go home. Of course his nursemaids practically drove him insane with their worrying and obsession with every little detail. In reality, all he wanted to do was go home and sleep in his own bed and watch his own TV.

He was sitting all alone, the TV turned on low. It was evening and his team had left hours before. He slowly sipped a juice – he had been strictly barred from any alcohol – and thought about the past week. He'd wanted to miss the holidays, to not have to think about Christmas. Well, he'd managed that in a spectacular way. Still, he was feeling rather lonely, which was silly after he'd made a bit point of needing some space.

"Never happy, are you O'Neill", he muttered to himself. He'd only just realized that it was Dec. 31st and soon the New Year would be rung in – and he'd be all alone, toasting himself. He sighed, knowing he was growing maudlin, but he figured he deserved it and he might as well enjoy his little pity party.

Wouldn't you know it! Just at the precise moment he decided he was damn well going to feel sorry for himself, and sorry he'd been deserted, his doorbell rang. He stood up stiffly and made his way to the door. Who the hell could it be?

"Hi Jack", Daniel said casually as he moved past Jack and headed towards the living room. He was carrying something but before Jack could ask what it was, Teal'c had barreled past him as well. He was left standing and staring at Carter.

She was dressed this evening in the sexiest little outfit he'd ever seen. It was – tight and black and short – and he was pretty sure he would never be able to breathe again. Not only that, he was terrified that he was suddenly going to grab her, flip her over his shoulder and take her to his bedroom. He was pretty sure the Broca virus had come back. He'd have to check with Janet in the morning.

"Sir?" Sam asked.

He blinked, and tried to inhale. It was harder than he thought possible. "Uh". Well, that was coherent!

"Are you okay Sir?", she asked, looking worried.

"Uh yeah." God, was that his squeaky voice? He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. You're – looking – nice Carter." Nice? God, what an idiot! "I mean you look – really – good." Okay, he was officially claiming post traumatic stress. He was not in his rational mind.

"Thank you Sir", she grinned and gave him a knowing look.

The minx, he thought. She knows exactly what she's doing to me. "Not that I mind Carter, but uh, what are you guys doing here? I thought you'd all gone home for the day."

"No Sir. We wanted to let you rest but we were always planning to come back. We brought some party food and we decided to come over for New Year's Eve. You can't celebrate by yourself you know. Who are you going to sing Auld Lang Syne with?"

He finally grinned and felt himself relax. Yeah – definitely blessed!

The four friends had fun that evening, playing cards and telling stories. There was a lot of laughter and a few tears – but good ones. At 11:30 they turned on the TV and watched the pre-New Year's show and then the countdown. At 11:59 they all stood up and when the clock hit 12:00 they hooted and hollered and hugged.

Daniel gave Sam a quick kiss and then Teal'c took his turn. After that Sam ended up in front of O'Neill. He looked down at her in her sexy outfit and saw her sparkling eyes and her lips turned up in a smile. Ah hell – it was New Year's!

He slowly grabbed her and pulled her towards him. The noise and the revelry in the room all faded as he concentrated on the woman in his arms. He bowed his head, intending to give her a small kiss, but instead she put her hands in his hair and pulled him towards her.

As a kiss it was – well – mind blowing. He forgot where he was and he forgot that Teal'c and Daniel were watching. Instead, he deepened the kiss and let it go on, and on, and on ….

Soon they both pulled back, if only slightly. Instead of stopping though their passionate kiss turned into nuzzling and gentle, soft kisses.

Jack pulled her closer, unable to get enough of the woman in his arms. He didn't know why, but suddenly he knew there was nowhere else he wanted to be – in fact, there was nowhere else he _could _ be. This was not only right, it was necessary.

Sam felt exactly the same way, the only difference was that a small voice was telling her that this was her precious thing and she could no longer live without it. She'd found him and she was not letting him go.

It was later – much, much later – when they both came up for air and looked around.

"Where are Daniel and Teal'c?" Sam asked, a puzzled frown on her face.

"I don't know." He called out to his two friends but there was no answer. Just then he spotted a note on the table. He picked it up and read it.

_Congratulations you two. It's about time! Jack, you were lost but not anymore. Don't mess it up!'_

_Daniel and Teal'c_

"I think they left", he said sheepishly, holding out the note.

She read it and smiled and then put the note down. She walked back to Jack and opened her arms. "I don't plan to mess this up", she said. "In fact, finders keepers! I found you, so now you're mine!"

Jack would say, years later, that this was the best New Year's Eve he'd ever had – but that it was only the beginning of an even greater life!

The End (and they all lived happily ever after, because this is my story and that's the way I want it!)

_**Okay so sue me! I didn't mean for J/S – but I'm incorrigible. I also did this in response to some requests from other romance addicted readers. So, I blame you! Not my fault at all. Now … on to my other stories.**_


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